Copyright © Innocent Mwatsikesimbe

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<<< Continues from Taxi Murders (Detective Dave Garner #1)

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PROLOGUE

DAVE CONFIDES IN PATRICIA

"Care to share your skeletons?"

Dave just stares at Patricia, not giving her the answer she is waiting for.

A few seconds later, he walks away from her, to the apartment's glass panel door, slides it open and then steps out onto the balcony. Patricia decides to give Dave some space and continues inspecting the rest of the apartment.

Out on the balcony, Dave lets his eyes get lost in the distant horizon. A cool breeze blows on his face and also cools his upper body down as it permeates his shirt. A combination of some very relaxing conditions, for a troubled mind. This case has suddenly created a presentiment that Dave finds hard to ignore.

A couple of minutes go by as Dave wrestles with his insecurities. He paces back and forth, breathing in a controlled manner and stroking the hair on his head here and there.

He stops and goes to the balcony's edge, and rests his arms on it. The traffic flow below him becomes a helpful distraction. Among the rapid movement of cars and pedestrians, he spots the arrival of Patricia's men.

They will be here any second now.

With that thought, he takes a few seconds to regain his composure. Feeling relaxed and a little more grounded, he turns around and makes it back into the room.

His arrival coincides with that of the other agents and the group meets with him in the centre of the living room. Patricia notices the group's arrival too and joins them as they greet Dave.

"Hi guys." She acknowledges them with a simple nod.

They all nod back and some begin taking out the various tools they use for their work. Patricia goes on to brief them.

"We've got signs of forced entry, assault and abduction. I want you to get as much information from the remaining evidence as possible."

The group obliges and begins their various investigative processes.

"I also want you to investigate Rachel's apartment. We found both doors open when we got here."

She proceeds to excuse Dave and herself, and the two leave the apartment.

"Shall I take you home?" Patricia asks this as she starts her car.

"Not yet. Let's go to The Plate. I owe you an explanation."

Dave looks at her face. She's got her eyes on the road.

"I thought you would never ask," she says, cracking a lascivious smile.

Dave is lost for words, wanting to take the opportunity, but still a bit rattled by the phone call. He just laughs.

Patricia drives to Dave's favorite restaurant. She finds space to park, not too far from the entrance. She sets the car up for a park, and the car's park-assist takes over. As the car parks itself, she takes the opportunity to reach over and kiss Dave; not for too long, but just enough to say she loves him, or perhaps she just cares about him. They have become quite close since they started working on the case.

The two get a table by a big window, and get to enjoy a stimulating view of the busy street, all without hearing the noise it makes. They place their orders and Dave starts his explanations, and Rachel listens attentively.

I had a disturbing childhood. It sounds cliché, I know, but it feels unique and somewhat special. Lady luck had placed me in a good home, with good parents; the perfect environment for a child to grow up to be a valuable member of society. I had it better than most of the kids I knew.

My mom was an overqualified mom. I mean that in the truest sense. Intelligent and loving, she was the mom that other kids wished for. The mom I was blessed to have. My dad on the other hand was a hero, protecting innocent people from things like terrorist attacks, big-time fraud, and the other collateral damage brought by corporate avarice or the shortcomings of society. He was a federal agent.

Rarely home most times, but available when you needed him the most, he loved us; I could tell. I didn't know what he did when he said he was going to work. He only told me that he will be fighting bad guys and that was enough for me. I only found out when I was much older, when I started digging up my past. When living with my aunt and uncle wasn't enough for me.

The discovery is probably why I do what I do today. You probably know most of this, but I just had to get it out of me.

Special Agent Patricia Wallace just nods her head in agreement.

So this thing about the chess piece and the phone call: the person who murdered my parents was supposedly killed years ago. Now this guy makes me doubt that. My parents' killer left a bloodied chess king piece at the scene, and he referred to that specifically when he called me. Why is that?

Patricia takes her time in coming up with a response. "There is another possibility beside that one. I mean, we could be dealing with someone who knows about your parents' case and is trying to get you to think like you're thinking right now."

Dave nods. "That's a possibility. Look, I don't mean to discredit the guys that worked on the case , but it's just so hard to trust people in this job, you know."

"And the situation gives you enough reason to be paranoid. I understand." She reaches over and holds Dave's hand on the table.

Dave smiles, briefly, and then the two separate their hands and make way for the waiter to place their meal on the table.

"We should probably try to get a trace on that call I received at the apartment."

Patricia concurs. She takes her phone and puts the request through to her partners. They go on to have dinner and talk more.

After dinner, Patricia drives Dave to his house. The two agree to meet up early the next morning, and to start by doing a background check on Rachel and her twin sister Rita.

CHAPTER ONE: GETTING TO KNOW RACHEL

The police enter the house and climb up the stairs. Little Dave is sitting on the floor, his pajamas soaked with his parents' blood, the chess piece in his hand. A person walks up to him and asks him to come with her. Dave looks at the person, and then at his parents, and at the person again. He makes a fist, stands up and slowly walks into the embrace of a female police officer, who picks him up and takes him away from the scene.

Dave Garner wakes up, heart racing. He reaches for the whiskey bottle, opens it and takes a big swig. He gets up and walks to his wardrobe. He opens it and reaches for a small box hidden behind some books, on a shelf at the top.

He closes his eyes for a few seconds and then opens it. In the small box is a chess piece, a king piece. A reminder of that somber night.

There are still a couple of hours left before his day begins, and he knows that he's not going back to sleep; so he chooses to kill time by watching TV.

Sunrise comes and he takes a shower. Feeling better now, Dave dresses up and prepares for the day ahead. Just before leaving home, he stops and stares at himself in the mirror.

The man in the mirror looks calm and composed, ready for whatever the day has in store for him. The truth in his heart paints a slightly different picture though.

He spots a cab parking by his house's entrance and ends his moment of introspect. He grabs his phone and tablet computer, locks up the house and enters the cab.

The driver greets him and starts driving. It's still a bit early and the ride feels strange. Dave feels out of place somehow.

Patricia arrives at their rendezvous at the same time as Dave, and the two take a table near the entrance.

"That was punctual." Dave says this with a smile.

"Very punctual," she adds.

Something is different about her, and Dave struggles to pick it up. Is it the hair? Or maybe it is the soft rays of light from the morning sun giving her face a beautiful radiance. She just has a different ambience today.

"You look great yourself."

Her statement startles Dave, and he takes a while to understand it.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. You just look different."

"Is it me or is it your perception that has changed?"

"It could be both."

She smiles, and that's good enough for Dave.

They order a light breakfast and recount the main topics of their case. One broken and vulnerable woman in custody, and another woman missing, another female killer on the loose, an increasingly unlikely suspect, and a crazy ghost from the past.

Agreeing on Rachel's social isolation, the two decide to get information from the people she spent the most time with. Soon after having their breakfast, Patricia drives them to Rico's club.

At Rico's club, Dave and Patricia make the security personnel grant them entrance even though the club was not open for business. Law enforcement identification moves mountains in shady organizations.

The two are escorted by one of the guards to Rico's office: a room on the second and last floor of the building, with a big glass panel replacing one of its walls. Obviously to grant Rico first row surveillance of operations downstairs. Dave looks at the tinted glass wall, and knows that Rico is watching them.

The three walk on confetti and avoid stepping on empty cans and food containers. There are cleaners in every corner of the space, working their way to the middle, clearing the mess up.

"Last night must have been a busy one," Dave tells Patricia.

"Yeah. You would know more than I do," she replies.

Dave decides to let her comment go unchallenged. His eyes catch a sight in front of him, as he lifts his head up from inspecting the floor: of Rachel's legs and behind, defined by the rather tight pants she is wearing. His attention lingers there for a few seconds and then moves on to watch his steps as they climb the stairs.

Rico is swivelling this way and that in his office chair when Dave and Patricia are let in. He has an air of arrogance and it only elevates the frustration that Dave has been bating and subduing since the day he received that distressing phone call. The guard shuts the door and waits just outside the room. He makes his presence known by whistling a tune and tapping his fingers on the door.

Just in case we rough your boss up, right?

Rico makes his final spin and stops, facing the couple.

"It's nice to see you again. Please, sit." Rico motions to empty chairs in front.

Dave and Patricia sit.

"Likewise," Patricia responds.

Rico leans in and rests his elbows on the desk, his chin supported by his fists.

"So what do you want from me now?"

He stares at Patricia, and she stares back.

"Oh, we just want to ask you a few questions about Rachel," Patricia says.

"Shoot," Rico says, raising his eyebrows.

Dave clears his throat and takes his tablet computer out.

"You said that you and Rachel were close. Just how close were you to her?"

Rico smiles. "I liked Rachel. She understood me in ways others can't. We shared a lot, her and I."

"Did she tell you anything about her past? How she grew up, her family?"

"Rachel had a rough upbringing. Her parents fought a lot. They weren't financially stable, so she didn't have most of the things kids need to be happy. Her troubles made her grow up faster than most."

"I see." Dave is writing notes down.

"She ran away from home when she turned eighteen and that's when I met her. She came to me looking for work and I took her in."

"Did she tell you anything about her family's whereabouts?"

"She didn't like to talk about her family."

Patricia cuts in, "What about siblings?"

"She said she had a twin sister, but didn't know where she was. They're estranged."

"And Lisa? Where is her father?"

"It's a sad story. Rachel was raped soon after starting work here. She took a cab one night and showed up for work late and shaken. I asked her what happened and she told me that a taxi driver raped her, and ditched her at a construction site. I told her to report the incident, but she refused, citing lack of credible evidence. I personally thought that she didn't want to go to the police."

Rachel frowns at this revelation. "Why is that," she asks.

Rico shrugs. "I don't know, maybe she just doesn't like the police, or maybe she had something to hide. I have no idea."

"Can you tell us her routine," Dave asks. "What time does she normally start work?"

"All dancers start work at 9PM. They get here before that time and go to the back. They do their make-up and whatever, then they start work."

"Do you have any records that show who comes in and at what time?"

"Never saw the need. All my girls come to work on time."

"And video footage?"

"I've got a camera near the entrance, three downstairs and one in here."

"Can we get last week's footage for the entrance and the other three?"

"Sure."

Rico picks his phone up and calls his technician. Meanwhile, Patricia and Dave send email updates to the department.

The technician comes through and hands Rico a flash drive, which he then hands over to Patricia. The two thank Rico for his cooperation and leave the club.

From Rico's club, they go to the headquarters and study the surveillance videos. They see Rachel come to work on all days, except the night of Joe's murder. The girl who came to work that night was Rita, not Rachel. It turns out that Dave saw her as she was going to her spot, and he points out the tattoo she had on her arm.

CHAPTER TWO: INTERROGATING RACHEL

"Raped by a taxi driver? That sounds like motive to me."

"You might be right Patricia, but I don't think Joe is the one who raped her."

"Why? Because he was your friend? Because you knew him?"

"Yeah. He'd never do something like that. Never."

"We'll see. I'm not trying to slander the departed, I'm just stating a possibility."

"It's okay. I'm not offended."

"Good. You know what? I think Rachel has got some explaining to do."

"I agree. I think we need to hear her side of the story."

The two go to the department and hand in their evidence (the video footage and a recording of their meeting with Rico). Dave calls for Rachel to be sent into the interrogation room.

Today, Rachel appears calm. She sits down and Dave joins her on the other side of the one-way mirror.

"Rachel."

"Mr. Garner."

"We need to talk."

"Have you found Lisa?"

"No, not yet; but we found out a lot."

Rachel raises her eyebrows.

"Where's Lisa's dad?"

"I..." She goes quiet.

"You're withholding information from us."

"I didn't want... I thought that... It would make me look bad. That spells out motive."

"Yeah, and hiding things spells out guilty."

Rachel nods, in agreement it seems. "I'm sorry."

"Was it Joe?"

"What?"

Dave slams his hand on the table, hard. A loud clap resounds, startling Rachel, and everyone else behind the glass.

"Did Joe rape you?"

"No, it wasn't him." Her voice is shaky.

Dave cups his head in his hand and lifts it up slowly, exhaling slowly too. He slams a couple of photos onto the table.

"This is you, at work," he says while pushing four photos individually across the table, to her.

She looks at them.

"And this is not you, on Friday last week." He pushes the last of the photos to her.

"Rita," Rachel whispers.

There appears to be genuine shock on her face.

"Yes, that's Rita. I even saw her myself, I was at the club that night. Do you mind telling me why she was there that Friday?"

Rachel shakes her head violently, tears on her cheeks now.

"I swear I have no idea that she's in town. I swear."

Dave takes a few seconds before continuing.

"Tell us how you spent your Friday. Don't leave anything out."

"Um, I went back home from work at around dawn. Lisa had just woken up, so I spent some time with her. I helped her bath and made breakfast for her. I took a shower while she ate and then went out with her."

Dave listens, attentively.

"We went to the park and watched birds. Pretty much killing time. Then I received a phone call. I answered it and the voice on the other end said they were watching me and that I should leave Lisa there, alone, or else they would shoot and kill me. I was oblivious at first, taking it as a lame prank, but I knew it was serious when they shot dead a bird that was in front of us. Lisa screamed and held on to me, and I was just so scared I couldn't move."

"A sniper," Dave says. "I think we're dealing with a pro. Go on, I'm listening."

"He repeated his order again, more sternly this time and I obliged. I left Lisa seated on the bench and I went away. There were no people nearby so I couldn't call anyone for help. A man came out of a bush and just grabbed Lisa. She tried screaming, but the man put his hand on her mouth, and just fled with her. I felt terrible. How can I allow monsters to kidnap my little girl?"

Rachel cried, loud, uncontrollably. Dave decides to end the session there, but Rachel insists she has one more thing to say.

"Everything else after that, I did under duress. Antonio Moralles, Joe; he ordered and I did it, for them to keep Lisa alive."

Dave just nods and places a hand on Rachel's shoulder. She cringes slightly, but relaxes when she realizes that Dave is comforting her.

He walks out of the room and joins Patricia behind the glass. Rachel is escorted out by two officers, still crying.

"It's now clear that we are dealing with a pro."

"Yes," Patricia says. "And the trace from that call you received came through."

"Really? Any news?"

"The call came from a payphone a couple of blocks from here."

Dave nods.

"I have already asked for footage from the surrounding cameras to see if we can get an ID. They also checked records from Rachel's phone and came back with a couple of payphones too. I also asked footage for those."

"That's good. At least we have a couple of leads to follow."

... to be continued

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Previously in the “Detective Dave Garner” series of crime thriller stories

• Taxi Murders (Detective Dave Garner #1)

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Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned, the next part is coming out soon.